I have been reading with great disbelief the reports in the press that the Guyana government is planning to erect a building on the lawns of Castellani House to house a new intelligence agency. While there may be a need for this new agency, the decision to site it at this location is beyond comprehension for several reasons.
Castellani House, more so than even the National Cultural Centre, is a place where Guyanese arts and culture are showcased on a daily basis. The lawn and building add to the beauty of the heritage collection housed here. In my view, the ambience of this place should not be destroyed. If anything, it should be enhanced to support the arts and cultural industries.
Guyana is being sold as a tourist destination. As tourism gains momentum, not only local citizens but international tourists are likely to flock to this venue. It seems to me that there is an inherent disconnect between Castellani’s need to attract visitors to its galleries and an intelligence agency’s need for security. I wonder if the decision-makers have seriously considered how the functioning of one will affect the other. After the agency becomes operational, how will its security be maintained without impeding the access of visitors to Castellani House? Will visitors to Castellani House have to undergo security checks and, if so, is this likely to deter them?
Also, any intelligence agency is likely to attract attention and negative publicity from time to time. Guyana’s history would indicate that such an agency is likely to be the site of unrest and picketers. How would such an occurrence affect attendance at Castellani House? And would this not create a negative image of the country in the eyes of foreign tourists flocking to Castellani House to absorb the cultural heritage of the country?
In my view, this decision should not be proceeded with. There are other sites that are more suitable to locate this agency where safety and security would not be compromised. I hope all stakeholders, including officials of the National Trust, the tourism authority, tour operators, artists and cultural associations, civic leaders and others would come together and convince the government that this decision should be rescinded.
Yours faithfully,
Harry Hergash
